Improvement in tablet index-books



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JMJ, I M imm 1PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES B. LAKE, JR., OF BALTIMORE,.MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN TABLET INDEX-BOOKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,433, dated July 25, 1871.

To all who-m t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs B. LAKE, Jr., of the city and county of Baltimore, in the State Maryland, have invented an Improved Erasible Index-Book for J ournaliziug in Book-keeping, of Which the following is a specification:

The accompanying drawing illustrates, in perspective, my improved indexed book oferasible leaves, opened at the pages alphabeted with the letters A B. rlhe leaves of this book are made of cloth or paper partly silicated or otherwise prepared, so as to present a hard smooth surface to receive and clearly present to the eye marks made thereon with lead or slate-pencils, but which will permit such marks to be easily erased or removed without becoming itself marred or impaired thereby. Each page of this indexed i erasible book may be ruled in the usual manner transversely, and also ruled with a single column longitudinally to separate a proper space on the left-hand side, composed of ordinary paper, for the entry of names, from the remainder of the page, prepared with an erasible surface, to be devoted to ii gures indicating the numbers of the several pages to be entered on the journal.

NVith this erasible indexed book I am enabled to very greatly facilitate and expedite the process ofjournalizing the entries made in the usual course of business in the cash or'day-books of any commercial or banking-house. Turning to the book to be journalized, I take in their order from its first page the names entered thereon and copy them successively each upon the lefthand side of the page of my index-book lettered to correspond with the iirst letter of the name,

Iplacing opposite thereto the number l of the folio. Turning next to the second page, I in the same manner enter therefrom upon the proper page ofthe index-book every name not found in the first page, with the number 2 of the folio, which number I also place opposite every name found on said page which had been previously entered in the book. Having thus once entered Y a name, there is no necessity for repeating the entry thereof, and having thus indexed the cash or day-book in alphabetical order, the entries therein are readily transferred to the journal in the same order. This being done, the record of folios opposite each name in the index-book may be all erased, when it is ready for use again with this important advantage, that the names of the parties dealing with the house which have been already journalized remain upon the index book, so that the labor of journalizing thereafter consists merely in entering the number of folios together with the comparatively feW new names which may occur.

The value of my improved indexbook and the facility of journalizing accomplished by it are self-evident.

I am aware that it has been proposed to make bill-files with a number of boards marked with the letters of the alphabet for the purpose of.

separating bills of parties of different initials. This purpose isdistinctly dilferent from that of my invention, and the ,device referred to is not practically adapted to perform the functions of mine.

I claim as my invention- A As a new article of manufacture, an index-book 'made with leaves partly of common paper for Vitnesses:

W. E. STEWART, DAvrn A. BURR. 

